Ancient Cultures of the Altai

Day 1 Arrival

Meet your guide at Ulaanbaatar’s airport and check into the five-star Blue Sky Hotel in the heart of Mongolia’s cosmopolitan capital. (D)

Day 2 Ulaanbaatar

Discover Ulaanbaatar’s Buddhist roots at Gandantegchenlin Monastery. Walk through history at the National Museum of Mongolia, and stroll Sukhbaatar Square, the center of modern Mongolia. (B,L,D)

Day 3 Wild Horses of the Steppe

Head west just out of the city onto the central Mongolian steppe. At the Mongol Nomadic Ger Camp, enjoy an introduction to nomadic traditions and enjoy an evening excursion to Hustai National Park to see the world’s only species of wild horse. Formerly extinct from the wild, Przewalski’s horses were reintroduced to Hustai in 1992 in an international conservation triumph. Spend the evening in a comfortable ger (nomadic dwelling) at the ger camp. (B,L,D)

Day 4 The Altai Mountains

Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii, the capital of Bayan-Ulgii Province and the principal town of Kazakh Mongolia. From Ulgii, travel west deep into the heart of the Altai Mountains past Tsengel, Mongolia’s westernmost town, and set up camp along the shores of the Hovd River, western Mongolia’s main waterway. (B,L,D)

Day 5 Lakes of the Ancestors

Continue your journey through a rocky area filled with ancient Bronze and Iron Age burial monuments, reaching the twin lakes of Hoton and Hurgan, nestled under snow-capped mountains straddling the border with Xinjiang, China. Set up camp for the night at Aral Tolgoi on the shore of Hoton Lake. The rocky hills around your campsite are filled with petroglyphs, including images from the Stone Age, and are one of the three UNESCO World Heritage Mongolian Altai Petroglyphs. Hike through the hills enjoying rock art and stunning lake and mountain views. (B,L,D)

Day 6 Sacred Mountain

Drive to the literal end of the road, the farthest western point in Mongolia where vehicles are allowed. Here, the White River, named for its milky white color, flows in the shadow of Mt. Shiveet Hairhan, a sacred massive that is a second area of the Mongolian Altai Petroglyphs. Explore the rock images, which trace the development of nomadic life from the Bronze Age through the 6th-8th century Turkic Empire. In the evening, meet the horsemen who will guide you for the next two days. Visit the ger of the horsemen’s family, ethnically Tuvan herders who are the heirs to the area’s millennia of nomadic heritage. (B,L,D)

Day 7 Horse Trek to Tavan Bogd

Enjoy the first of two days of horse riding, as you travel first on foot and then on horse to Tavan Bogd, Mongolia’s five highest peaks, straddling the borders of Mongolia, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. Camp at the foot of the mountains near massive Potanin Glacier. Vehicles are forbidden on the way to Tavan Bogd; pack camels will carry your supplies and tents this day and the next. (B,L,D)

Day 8 Oigor River Valley

On your second and final day on horseback, ride past mountain lakes and across the high meadows of the Oigor River Valley. Rendezvous with your drivers as you set up camp at the Tavan Bogd National Park’s northern border. Here, ethnically Kazakh herders graze their animals; you will explore this culture with a visit to the ger of a herding family. (B,L,D)

Day 9 Images of the Past

Drive east to the confluence of the Tsagaan Salaa and Baga Oigor Rivers, the third and final region of the Mongolian Altai Petroglyphs. Marvel at North Asia’s largest collections of rock art, tens of thousands of pictures carved over a period of over 10,000 years, from the Stone Age to the Mongol Empire. Enjoy your final night of camping. (B,L,D)

Day 10 Frontier Town

Bid farewell to your cook and local guides and drive back to Ulgii. Explore the town, including the provincial museum and the bazaar, a good place to find local embroidery and quilts. Spend two evenings in a ger in a touristger camp near the town. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Eagle Hunters

Take a day trip across rocky glacial plains to the summer site of a nomadic family who practices eagle hunting, a traditional Kazakh form of falconry using trained golden eagles. Meet the family and their eagle. (B,L,D)

Day 12 Ulaanbaatar

Fly back to Ulaanbaatar and enjoy an evening folk music and dance performance by the renowned Tumen Ekh Ensemble. (B,L,D)

Day 13 Genghis Khan

Enjoy a final day in Mongolia with your choice of a a free day exploring the city or a day trip to the towering Genghis Khan Statue on the steppe at Tsonjin Boldog east of Ulaanbaatar. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner back in the city with your fellow travelers. (B,L,D)